Research shows that the effects of athletics on virtue development are mixed. Religion provides people with a meaning-making system, community, and practices that can promote the cultivation of virtues and possibly enhance the impact of athletics on virtue development. Yet, little empirical research has assessed moral outcomes when religion and sport interact. The present study examines intrinsic religiosity as a moderator of the effect of athletic involvement on virtue and self-worth outcomes in collegiate student-athletes. Participants (N = 1930) were religious college students in the United States, 22% (n = 415) competing in an intercollegiate varsity sport. Moderated regression analyses revealed, contrary to predictions, that religiosity did not significantly moderate trait courage, trait patience, or goal patience. Consistent with predictions, religiosity significantly moderated goal courage, approval self-worth (i.e., the extent to which people base their worth on approval from others), and moral self-worth (i.e., the extent to which people base their worth on their own virtuousness). Whereas religiosity was associated with higher goal courage for non-athletes, the association was stronger for athletes. Religiosity was not associated with levels of approval self-worth for non-athletes, but the more religious athletes were, the less important other people’s approval was for their sense of self. Whereas religiosity was associated with higher moral self-worth contingency for athletes, the association was stronger for non-athletes. Applications for practitioners and future directions for researchers are discussed.

Objective: Text analysis is a form of psychological assessment that involves converting qualitative information (text) into quantitative data. We tested whether automated text analysis using Generative Pre‐trained Transformers (GPTs) can match the “gold standard” of manual text analysis, even when assessing a highly nuanced construct like spirituality. Method: In Study 1, N = 2199 US undergraduates wrote about their goals ( N = 6597 texts) and completed self‐reports of spirituality and theoretically related constructs (religiousness and mental health). In Study 2, N = 357 community adults wrote short essays ( N = 714 texts) and completed trait self‐reports, 5 weeks of daily diaries, and behavioral measures of spirituality. Trained research assistants and GPTs then coded the texts for spirituality. Results: The GPTs performed just as well as human raters. Human‐ and GPT‐generated scores were remarkably consistent and showed equivalent associations with other measures of spirituality and theoretically related constructs. Conclusions: GPTs can match the gold standard set by human raters, even in sophisticated forms of text analysis, but require a fraction of the time and labor.

What is the relationship between identity, idolatry, wholeness, and community? What are the ways in which sports culture bolsters or misdirects God-given identity? How can leaders in sports cultivate authentic, loving community that provides athletes safe spaces to explore and discern messages from the world and truth from God? In this paper, we will explore existential questions such as these. First, we will describe how identity is inherently physiological, psychological, social, and spiritual, developing subconsciously through explicit and implicit messaging. Then, we will explore the ways in which sports – organized play, human creation, and a good gift from God – can become an idol, and how idolatry both stems from and perpetuates fragmented identity. Next, we will explain what a life of wholeness means for sportspeople. Lastly, we will conclude with recommendations for leaders in sports to provide authentic and safe communities driven by love and faithfulness.

UniversityResearch suggests retirement from competition to be a significant life transition, categorized by both positive and negative experiences. Ample studies have shown that psychological inflexibility (i.e., a person’s difficulty in coping with and accepting distress) is a negative experience that can lead to adverse mental health outcomes within competitive contexts. However, no studies to date have examined the link between psychological inflexibility, reactions to retirement, and mental health outcomes in retired competitors. The present study examines how inflexibility and reactions to retirement are associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in a sample of former competitors within Drum Corps International, an elite marching and performance organization with mandatory retirement at age 21. Results from 223 retired competitors (age range 20-29, Mage = 24.27) were analyzed. Consistent with hypotheses, psychological inflexibility predicted depression and anxiety symptoms, and reactions to retirement partially mediated the relation between inflexibility and symptoms of depression. Specifically, positive reappraisal and loss of control reactions to retirement partially mediated psychological inflexibility’s association with depressive symptoms (with loss of control as the stronger mediator). Clinical implications for competitors approaching retirement are discussed, with emphasis on the utility of acceptance and commitment-based interventions.